My husband and I currently live in Shizuoka, and we’ve been trying to move closer to Tokyo. We’ve been in touch with several real estate agents and checking houses regularly, but we’re struggling to find something that checks our boxes.
What’s especially frustrating is that even when we do find a place we like, the agents often respond so slowly that the property is already gone by the time we hear back. This has basically been repeating for the past 4 months, and I’m starting to wonder if we’re doing something wrong or if this is just normal in Japan/Tokyo.
We’d also like to visit more local agencies directly, since we’ve heard many good properties never make it online, but without fluent Japanese, it’s been difficult.
Do you have any advice for house hunting in Japan? Better platforms, strategies, or ways to approach agents?
Also, should we assume that a 2-month deposit is basically money we’ll never get back? We keep finding places we love, but the deposit costs are making us reconsider our budget.
Would really appreciate any advice or experiences 🙏
by roxdfi